Nikhil Shrivastava

Senior Product Manager

Auth0 Dashboard and Docs are now available in Japanese - enjoy a localized experience for secure identity solutions.

We’re excited to announce that Japanese has been added as a new language option to the Auth0 Dashboard and Documentation! This enhancement makes building secure and frictionless identity solutions in Japanese easier than ever before.

## What’s New?

* **Dashboard in Japanese**: Configure your applications and manage authentication flows directly in the Auth0 Dashboard with full Japanese support.
* **Localized Documentation**: Whether you’re setting up Single Sign-On (SSO), implementing MFA, or exploring our SDKs, you can now access it all in Japanese.
* **Consistent Experience**: Enjoy a seamless and coherent user experience across the platform, thanks to carefully localized interfaces and content.

## How to Consume Content in Japanese

By default, if your language preference is set to Japanese in your browser settings, Auth0 will detect this and automatically serve the Dashboard and Documentation in Japanese. If you’d like to switch to another language—or if you want to manually override the default setting—here are the steps to do so:

1. **On the Auth0 Dashboard**:

* Log into the Auth0 Dashboard.
* Look for the language switcher in the top-right corner.
* Alternatively, click your account icon and navigate to **Your Profile**.
* Select **Japanese** under the language options.

![Auth0 Dashboard in Japanese](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/7h427VUyejEzWYgIwr5681/06708132a83061b977fa3bdb280bc44d/japanese-now-available-on-the-auth0-dashboard-and-docs_01.jpg)

![Auth0 Dashboard in Japanese](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/6pI7FyQfBEfssfTHBHfWrM/b64b65e986536fb5031d268d4cec4e6e/japanese-now-available-on-the-auth0-dashboard-and-docs_02.jpg)

2. **In the Auth0 Docs**:

* Visit the Auth0 Docs.
* Look for the language switcher in the top-right corner.
* Choose **Japanese** to browse articles, tutorials, and guides in that language.

![Auth0 Docs in Japanese](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/22Cn5smpMA9h1i5BR5or9o/e24008f44aa3251306ae5ee95b8e6b0f/japanese-now-available-on-the-auth0-dashboard-and-docs_03.png)

## What’s Next

If you spot any issues with the translation - please share your feedback with us or contact our support team.

**On the Dashboard**: Use the **Give Feedback** button in the bottom left corner to let us know how we’re doing.

**In the Docs**: Look for the page-specific feedback form on each documentation page to share your thoughts.

Thank you and **ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu)!** We’re looking forward to seeing how this update empowers developers and businesses in Japan and around the globe to build secure, scalable solutions with Auth0.

Japanese Now Available on the Auth0 Dashboard and Docs

auziros:jeana-tahnk

Jeana has been in the tech industry for 15+ years, both as a communications professional and writer. As Director of Global Communications at Auth0, she works with her internal team and external agencies to amplify the company's visibility worldwide and establish its leadership in the identity industry. When she is not working, she can most likely be found on a field watching one of her three kids playing sports, or cleaning up after her one-year-old retriever who chews everything.

Senior Director, Global Communications

Jeana Tahnk

New Country Manager will support continued expansion and enterprise adoption of Auth0

**TOKYO – March 18, 2021** – The [Auth0](https://auth0.com/) Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced [Toshikazu ‘TJ’ Osuga](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjosuga/) as Country Manager for Auth0 KK. Significant customer wins in the region with enterprises like [KONICA MINOLTA](https://info.auth0.com/2020-09-KonicaMinolta-cs.html), [Qrio](https://info.auth0.com/2020-06-Qrio-cs.html), and the [Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI)](https://info.auth0.com/2020-05-meti-cs.html), and industry demand for adaptable identity management, positions Auth0 KK well for continued growth in 2021. As Country Manager based in Tokyo, Osuga is responsible for achieving regional revenue targets, hiring and expanding the team, and forging strategic business partnerships. 

A recent [McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/jp/en/~/media/McKinsey/Locations/Asia/Japan/Our%20Work/Digital/Using%20digital%20transformation%20to%20thrive%20in%20Japans%20new%20normal_an%20urgent%20imperative_upd201223.pdf) survey found that 80% of Japanese executives agreed that “digital is a promising opportunity,” however, only 34% believe they are ready to promote their digital services. This gap signals an urgent need for mature digital transformation solutions and an opportunity for those who provide them. Identity sits at the front door of most digital experiences and positions Auth0 well to continue expanding its reach in Japan. 

Osuga brings a wealth of experience to Auth0 in revenue generation, partnerships, customer success, and operations. He most recently served as Head of Sales at Google Cloud and was hired as Google Cloud’s first employee in Japan in 2005. He helped to start Google Cloud and build its single product business into a multiple-products business, including B2B SaaS and its Business Cloud business in Japan. Prior to Google Cloud, he served in various sales and business development positions at Sun Microsystems.

“Since Auth0’s Tokyo office opening in 2018, we have invested in growing the team with top talent and are excited to have TJ lead Auth0 KK and drive new opportunities,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO, and co-founder of Auth0. “Japanese companies are facing the complexities of digital transformation and privacy regulations, especially with recent amendments to the [Act on the Protection of Personal Information](https://auth0.com/resources/whitepapers/amended-appi) (APPI), and identity management plays an integral role in both. We are a trusted technology partner to many Japanese enterprises and look forward to TJ’s leadership to continue expanding our reach in the region.” 

“COVID-19 forced many companies to rethink their digital transformation strategies and has left many scrambling and reprioritizing their investments and efforts,” said Osuga. “This presents Auth0 with tremendous opportunity in the region to guide companies on a long-term journey of modernization. Identity management is an integral part of that process. Auth0 provides the right solution for enterprises who are looking for reliability, breadth, adaptability, and scale&mdash;and can help with any identity need, regardless of what transformation stage they’re in. I am thrilled to be joining Auth0 at this pivotal juncture.” 

World Innovation Lab (WiL), an investor of Auth0 and contributor to its previous three funding rounds&mdash;Series D, E, and F&mdash;has deep roots and an expansive network in Japan and has played a large role in supporting the company’s growth in the region. 

“It has been very exciting to see Japanese companies adopt Auth0’s identity solution as a foundational part of their infrastructures,” said Tsune Shirota, Partner at WiL. “From the moment we invested in Auth0, we had great confidence in its ability to execute in Japan. We welcome TJ to the team and will continue to provide our support and counsel as Auth0 enters its next phase of growth in the region.”

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />
### Media Contacts
Global Communications 
Auth0 
[press@auth0.com](mailto:press@auth0.com) 

Kartz Media for Auth0 
[auth0@kartz.co.jp](mailto:auth0@kartz.co.jp)

Toshikazu Osuga to Lead Next Phase of Auth0 Growth in Japan

adam-nunn

I'm a security and compliance professional with a passion for emerging cloud technologies. I specialize in risk, privacy regulations, and industry-standard security frameworks.

Sr. Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Adam Nunn

2020 amendments to the APPI change the data security obligations of businesses

On June 5, Japan enacted a new set of amendments to its data-privacy law, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI). These Diet-approved updates are part of the APPI's "every three years" review policy, but the changes go far beyond minor tweaks to existing Japanese privacy law.

Taken as a whole, the 2020 amendments mark a further expansion of the APPI's scope, following in the footsteps of previous expansions. They increase the obligations of companies to be transparent and secure with the personal data of Japanese residents or risk incurring criminal penalties. 

The major part of the APPI amendments isn't expected to officially come into effect until spring 2022, although the timeline is subject to change. But if your company does business in Japan, now is the time to educate yourself and make sure your business is compliant.

## Why Japan's Data-Privacy Law Needed an Overhaul

In recent years, Japan has suffered a string of highly damaging data breaches, prompting the Japanese government to change its "hands-off" attitude toward data privacy and cybersecurity. Understanding those stories is crucial to understanding how the new amendments will be interpreted and enforced.

### A culture of poor cybersecurity

According to [_The Economist_](https://www.economist.com/business/2020/07/18/japan-incs-it-needs-a-security-patch), Japan "lags behind other advanced economies" when it comes to cybersecurity. Many Japanese SMBs have minimal security, and many more use vulnerable legacy technology. (_The Economist_ illustrates this point with this shocking statistic: "Nearly 14m people were still using Windows 7 when Microsoft stopped providing security patches in January [2020].")

### Data breaches prompt outrage and change 

The APPI was originally passed in 2003 and has been updated several times to require greater protection of personal data. In order to adapt to factors such as the rapid evolution of technology and global standards for protection of personal data, the 2015 Amendments required that new amendments be considered every three years. 

While the law was due for amendments in 2020, the contents of those amendments were influenced by a string of high-profile breaches. For instance, in 2019, Japan's Uniqlo retail chain revealed a breach that compromised the data of over 460,000 customers. Stories like this prompted a national outcry and calls to strengthen the APPI's enforcement capabilities. 

At the same time, another case was winding its way through the courts, which would help shape the direction of APPI amendments. Benesse, an education tech company, had a data leak, in which an employee for a subsidiary stole and sold the personal data of an estimated 29 million customers, reports the Japan Times. [Benesse](https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO39457050X21C18A2CC1000/) stated that the leak involved over 35 million records. 

After a lengthy legal battle, the courts found that the subsidiary should have known its protections against data exports were not up to date, and Benesse should have provided more appropriate supervision. According to [Data Guidance](https://www.dataguidance.com/notes/japan-data-protection-overview), both parties were found liable "for damages of JPY 3,300 (approx. €27) plus 5% late charges per annum per affected individual." Although Benesse was prosecuted under the old version of APPI before the 2015 Amendments (effected in 2017). Although you can't draw a direct line between this case and the 2020 amendments, it is clear that amendments mean action. 

The take-home message of all this context is that businesses can't afford to think of the APPI amendments as needless red tape or a continuation of the status quo. Rather, they're an opportunity to correct serious shortcomings in Japan's cybersecurity culture that could put your company's sensitive and proprietary data at risk.

## What's Changing in the APPI Amendments

The 2020 amendments to the APPI make two broad changes: giving individuals more rights over their personal data and increasing the reporting obligations of companies.

Here's a quick rundown of the APPI's scope.

### Who the APPI applies to

In principle, any business (whether for-profit or not) that handles the personal information of Japanese residents falls under the law, regardless of where the business is headquartered. The current APPI applies to non-Japanese entities if they acquire the data of Japanese residents and process it in a foreign country, except for certain provisions that are considered not applicable or enforceable to non-Japanese entities. There are [limited exceptions](https://www.dataguidance.com/notes/japan-data-protection-overview) for the press, professional writers and academics, religious groups, and political parties. This part of the law is largely unchanged from the previous version.

Under the current version of APPI, the Japanese government can report incidents involving non-Japanese businesses to the foreign business' own regulatory authorities. The 2020 amendments expand that power, and the PPC can demand documents and reports from foreign entities, as well as enter a facility and conduct and audit with a foreign regulatory authority.
 
### How the APPI defines personal information and personal data

The definition of personal information and personal data under the APPI hasn't changed since the 2017 revisions. It defines personal information as any information from which one can deduce the identity of a living individual. Such information includes biometric markers and official identifier numbers. Like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there's also a special category of "sensitive personal information," which includes race, religion, criminal record, and medical history. Under the 2020 amendment, personal data includes personal data that are to scheduled to be deleted within six months from the date the entity obtained it, which is excluded under the current law.

It's important to note that the 2020 amendment introduces the concept of pseudonymized information, which can only identify individuals when combined with other data. According to the [_IAPP_](https://iapp.org/news/a/analysis-of-japans-approved-bill-to-amend-the-appi/), pseudonymized information is exempted from parts of the APPI, including the requirement to disclose and stop using personal data. Since pseudonymized information is limited to the internal use by businesses, it is not allowed to be shared with third parties by consent of the individual or through opt-out procedure. 

### The penalties for noncompliance

The current APPI establishes fines and penalties for violations, but the 2020 amendments make the penalties heavier. The amended APPI stipulates that parties who fail to comply with corrective orders by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC, sometimes abbreviated as just PPC) can be liable for criminal punishment of up to 1 year imprisonment or fines of as much as 1,000,000 Japanese yen (if the party is a business entity, up to 100,000,000 Japanese yen). In addition, the 2020 amendments allow the PIPC to publish the names of operators who don't comply with orders.

In the case of a business or employee using personal information with a purpose to gain profit illegally, this Act is considered criminal and can be punished by up to a year in prison or a fine of as much as 500,000 Japanese yen (if the party is a business entity, up to 100,000,000 Japanese yen). 
Individuals can also sue for damages relating to the loss of privacy, which may end up having the biggest financial repercussions for businesses.

In practice, the PIPC usually follows an enforcement pattern of an initial inquiry into allegations, followed by recommendations to correct any violations. The PIPC can pursue legal action against companies who fail to change their behavior after this process.

### New rights of individuals under APPI

The 2020 APPI amendments give individuals an **expanded right of deletion or suspension of use**. According to [the law](https://www.ppc.go.jp/files/pdf/20200612_comparative_table_amended_APPI.pdf), data subjects can now demand their data be erased "if it has become unnecessary for a personal information handling business operator to utilize retained personal data," if that entity has had a certain data breach or leakage, or "there is a possibility that handling of the retained personal data... would harm the rights or legitimate interests of the principal."

Allowing individuals to demand erasure when there is a possibility of harm stands in contrast to the previous language, which allowed for deletion only when personal data was handled or acquired illegally. In addition, in the prior version of the APPI, any data scheduled to be erased within six months was exempt from the right to erasure. The new version removes the six-month exception.
 
<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="The 2020 amendments also give subjects the right to request an electronic copy of their personal data."/>

### New obligations for companies under APPI

As we mentioned earlier, the old APPI guidelines did not include **mandatory reporting of data breaches**, but the new law does require businesses to report certain "leakage, loss or damage" to the PPIC, which thresholds will be set forth in the rules for the APPI later. However, the language of the requirement is still somewhat murky when it comes to informing individuals that their data has been compromised. The law says this requirement doesn't apply "when it is difficult to inform a principal and when necessary alternative action is taken to protect a principal's rights and interests."

The 2020 amendments include two notable provisions regarding **transfer of personal data to a third party**. The first expands regulations to transfers in cases where the disclosing party can't use the data to identify specific individuals, but the recipient of the data can.

According to [Data Guidance](https://www.dataguidance.com/opinion/japan-impact-adopted-appi-amendment-bill), "Given that provision of online identifiers (such as cookies) to third parties may become subject to consent requirements, this amendment will likely affect targeted advertising and other ad tech practices. The practical impact of the Amendments on businesses, in this respect, is high." However, Data Guidance goes on to say that, because obtaining consent for using cookies is already required under the GDPR, this requirement shouldn't be too onerous for GDPR-compliant companies.

The other unique element regarding third parties concerns **transfer of data across national borders**. Under the current version of APPI, businesses sharing data outside Japan must obtain the consent of the data subject and share information about the data-privacy systems of the third party and their country. If a business does not obtain prior consent (for example, because the transfer isn't to a third party), they are required to ensure that the recipient of the data has equivalent data protection standards to the APPI or is in a country with equivalent standards. At present, the only foreign countries for which this applies are the UK and the European Union.

The 2020 amendments make several changes to this regulation. They expand the information that must be shared with individuals when obtaining consent (the specific details have yet to be released). They also require that when sharing personal data with operators that have equivalent data protection standards, businesses must ensure that the protection standards are maintained.

Also, under the amended APPI, personal information operators are required to disclose their addresses and the name of the representative director in case the operator is a corporation. In addition, additional information needs to be disclosed for the provision of information through opt-out procedure or in case of joint use of personal information.

## Preparing Your Business for APPI Amendments

Like many international data-privacy rules, the text of the APPI doesn't make many specific suggestions for best practices. However, the PIPC has issued guidelines regarding appropriate security measures. The good news is that many of these guidelines are familiar to GDPR-compliant companies, and they start with some basic data housekeeping.

_The following guidelines are not intended as legal advice. Contact your legal counsel for specific recommendations for the provision of personal data._

### Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO)

This isn't a hard and fast requirement, but PIPC guidelines recommend it for companies in which a breach could cause harm, provided the business is large enough. If you're running an international corporation handling sensitive personal information and conducting cross-border data transfers, consider this recommendation a requirement.

A DPO can help ensure you're taking appropriate measures to stay compliant, such as regularly reviewing your privacy policy as guidelines evolve. 

### Update legacy systems

Given the prevalence of vulnerable legacy technology in Japan, it's essential to take a hard look at your company's internal systems. A failure to do so could lead to costly legal action. For example, in the Benesse case, the company's negligence hinged on the fact that they hadn't updated their processes to prevent the transfer of data to new Android phones. A small oversight with a big consequence.

In addition, staying on top of the latest encryption standards can free your company from some of its legal obligations. Under the current guidelines, businesses are not required to inform the PIPC of a breach, provided the leaked data is encrypted "[at a high level](https://www.dataguidance.com/notes/japan-data-protection-overview)."

### Implement access controls

The APPI demands that businesses take "necessary and appropriate action for the security control of personal data." The bedrock principle of "necessary and appropriate" security is that you should limit the number of people who can access personal information.

Implementing a sophisticated [workforce identity and access management (IAM)](https://auth0.com/b2e-identity-management-for-employees) system lets you assign permissions for who gets to access sensitive data. Moreover, it creates an immutable record of access, so if there is a breach, you can limit the damage.

If a simple username/password combination is all that it currently takes to access your company's personal information databases, then workforce IAM is a priority.

## Data Protection Is Mandatory, With or Without Privacy Laws

In passing the latest APPI amendments, the Japanese government has made it clear that it intends to take a tougher stance on the handling of personal data. But it shouldn't take a Diet approval for businesses to examine their use of personal information or to ensure that they have appropriate security control measures in place.

Hopefully, these amendments will lead to improved outcomes for Japanese companies, citizens, and everyone doing business in Japan.

For further information on how a modern approach to IAM can help protect your company's data and comply with data protection laws, reach out to the [team at Auth0](https://auth0.com/en/contact-us).

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

The New Japanese Privacy Law: What Businesses Need to Know

Industry leaders in Japan rely on Auth0 for their identity management needs

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- June 3, 2019 -- [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced the addition of two leading Japanese companies to its customer roster, signaling continued expansion in the region. Both [NTT DOCOMO](https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/) and [PERSOL CAREER](https://www.persol-group.co.jp/en/index.html) are using Auth0 for their identity management needs.

NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with more than 78 million subscribers, is one of the world's foremost contributors to 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile network technologies. The company is preparing for the launch of a new service called "[docomo sky](https://www.docomosky.jp/)™", a drone service that offers monitoring for mega solar farms, manufacturing plant maintenance, construction management for large scale buildings, and more. Auth0 will support the service for securely authorizing users across its drone platform.

PERSOL CAREER, an affiliate of PERSOL HOLDINGS with $700M+ in revenue, 37K employees, and 75 affiliate companies, is one of the leading Human Resources (HR) service providers in Japan. It operates popular job posting sites in Japan for job-seekers of all levels. Given its breadth of services and affiliates under one brand, PERSOL CAREER is planning to use Auth0 to standardize login across all brands, starting initially with the launch of eight new web services, with the goal of expanding centralized login across its entire ecosystem.

Japan is on the forefront of digital innovation, and ranks fifth in the world on public cloud spending with a projected $7.4B in 2019, according to [IDC](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190228005137/en/Worldwide-Public-Cloud-Services-Spending-Forecast-Reach). The rapid and ubiquitous migration to cloud services, paired with the ever increasing need to securely manage identities and optimize the user experience, is serving as the catalyst for identity management adoption.

The growth of Auth0 in Japan is not only supported by industry demand, but also by strong leadership, with [Jun Fujita](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-announces-new-country-manager-in-japan/) as Country Manager, and developer community expert [Hideki Ojima](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-welcomes-hideki-ojima-to-the-team/) as strategic advisor. Another exciting addition to the team is Yasuhiko Tokunaga as Marketing Director. Tokunaga comes from Stripe, and was instrumental in building the company's brand in Japan.

"It has been really exciting to see how companies are responding to Auth0 and the rate at which we are signing on new customers," said Fujita. "The addition of NTT DOCOMO and PERSOL CAREER represents significant momentum for us, and we look forward to working with them and other Japanese enterprises of this caliber."

Auth0 recently announced a $103M round of [Series E funding](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-closes-103m-in-funding-passes-1b-valuation/), bringing the company's total funding-to-date to more than $210M. The past two rounds included investment from [World Innovation Lab](https://wilab.com/) to support the company's growth and expansion in Japan.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Auth0 Propels Growth in Japan with Significant Enterprise Wins

jenny-obrien

I'm a former business journalist who's fascinated by the intersection of tech and business strategy — in particular how the right solution can transform an idea into reality. I specialize in ROI, data privacy, and identity.

Business Content Manager

Jenny O'Brien

Community Marketing expert Hideki Ojima shares why he chose to help Auth0 expand in Japan, his 3 principles for community growth, and more!

After helping large tech companies like [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/) and [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/) build their Japanese presence, community marketing expert [Hideki Ojima](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hideki-ojima-548032a/?originalSubdomain=jp) turned his attention to doing the same for companies like [Stripe](https://stripe.com/), [CircleCI](https://circleci.com/) and, more recently, Auth0. With nearly two decades in the field, he remains [as fascinated as Marc Andreessen](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903480904576512250915629460) by how SOFTWARE is eating the world. Riding the wave of cloud computing, everything is getting faster and faster he says, citing the pace of innovation as one of his key reasons for remaining in tech marketing.

![Community Marketing expert Hideki Ojima brings nearly two decades of experience in the field.](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/4KNbxbC9NRSwux4Lpr1eUk/5e66eac38bb59f54749c5f00d1335715/auth0-japan-community-manager-hideki-ojima)

The other fascination is the customer.

When Ojima started in marketing, he says product was king. Since the arrival of the cloud, subscription and pay-as-you-go services have moved the customer onto the throne.

Companies need to listen to communities through carefully run feedback loops to harness the power of customer loyalty that will provide solid, scalable growth, says Ojima.

We talked about why he’s chosen to help Auth0 expand in the region, what companies might find surprising about growing community in Japan, and advice for starting a global movement.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="Companies like @adobe and @aws relied on @hide69oz to grow community in Japan (and @stripe and @circleci still do). Now he’s helping @auth0."/>

**What three aspects of community marketing are critical to a company’s success and why?** 

Well... I think there are 3 principles for community growth: Offline-first, Context-first, and Output-first.

**Offline-first**: Many people tend to think that online communication is the key factor for community growth because it seems to be scalable. However, in many cases, the first ignition point of community growth is offline communication. People tend to adopt the opinions of people they know in person. So the community should start from the offline meetup, then, build the online communication space.

**Context-first**: Just gathering people won’t work well for continuous growth. People need a common reason/goal/vision to keep working together. This applies for community-building as well. We need to build and share the common context of the community with its participants.

**Output-first**: If you have a meetup, what’s discussed including slides, etc. should be shared externally for community growth — essentially, you need to share the output of the meetup. Without such output, people outside of the community may never discover the community and might miss the opportunity to enter. Output often elicits questions, comments, and alternative opinions, creating a cycle of engagement that helps build community. But the output-input-output cycle is really key thing for expanding the influence of the community. And the cycle should begin with the Output.

**What drew you to Auth0?**

As you may know, I'm working for several cloud services (btw, all services are running on AWS!) and each service is the key element of a subscription cloud business, such as online payments, CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous delivery), collaboration, etc. An authentication and authorization platform is definitely key for cloud businesses. I think Auth0 is one of the leading platforms in this area, and this is the reason why I have chosen Auth0 as a new company to work with.

**What would companies find surprising about growing community in Japan?**

Especially in the B2B area, the power of community has been getting bigger and bigger. It was proven by AWS Japan and JAWS-UG (Japan AWS User Group). For example, JAWS-UG has just held its own annual conference “JAWS DAYS” on Feb. 23th, 2019 with an impressive 1,900 actual attendees. This annual event was started seven years ago and has been 100% organized by community members. Following this trend, many B2B vendors are trying to make a similar movement for their own services. This is a typical behavior change in Japan’s B2B industry.

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="Surprising insights about growing a company’s community in Japan from @hide69oz."/>

**What advice do you have for growing community globally?**

Find the right leaders and followers in each regional market. They should be hiding in your existing customers. Sometimes, they are large companies, and sometimes, they are startups and individual developers. But the company size or title of the person doesn’t matter. Enthusiasm for your service is what’s important. You can find out which customers are enthusiastic about your product through face-to-face meetings, recommendations from the customer success team, and remarks on social networks, etc. Once you find the right customers, you can create a [movement](https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement) anywhere you run the business.

<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

Auth0 Welcomes Hideki Ojima to the Team

New hire will drive growth to maximize potential for the region.

**BELLEVUE, Wash. and TOKYO – November 27, 2018 –** [Auth0](https://auth0.com/), a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today reinforced its commitment to growth in Japan with the addition of Jun Fujita to its team. As Country Manager based in Tokyo, Mr. Fujita will be responsible for reaching Auth0’s revenue and growth targets, further building the Auth0 KK team, and driving strategic business development activities.

Japanese companies are investing aggressively in digital transformation and are expected to spend at least $5.8 billion on cloud services in 2018; and experience the second fastest growth in public cloud services spending worldwide over the next five years, according to [IDC](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS43511618). Given this trend, Japanese companies and their customers, partners, and employees are confronting the challenges of complex authentication and authorization, representing a tremendous market opportunity for Auth0. 

Earlier this year, Auth0 announced a [$55 M Series D](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-announces-55m-series-d-funding/) funding round, which included significant investment from [World Innovation Lab (WiL)](https://wilab.com/), a leading firm known for its expertise in the Japanese market. Auth0, under Mr. Fujita’s leadership, will work closely with WiL to aggressively expand its go-to-market strategy and execute its longer-term vision for the region. 

“The continued support of WiL and the addition of Fujita-san to our team provides a great foundation for us to really spread our wings in Japan,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO and Co-founder of Auth0. “There is no denying that the appetite for identity and access management in Japan is present and growing. We are ready to take advantage of this opportunity to build our market leadership position.”

“Auth0 is well-positioned to support Japanese companies' digital transformation with its authentication and authorization solution, a critical component of any digitally-native business and their processes,” said Tsune Shirota, Partner at WiL. “Auth0 certainly has the technology innovation and now the leadership to be very successful there.”

Mr. Fujita has nearly 20 years of experience in the IT industry, focusing specifically on enterprise customers in Japan. As former country manager for Elastic and Github, he brings valuable knowledge of strategic planning and regional growth initiatives to the role. 

“Auth0 is a very unique company that I feel so lucky to join,” said Mr. Fujita. “The company has already gained several key customers here, and I look forward to continuing this momentum and contributing even more to our success.” 

Auth0’s focus on Japan represents another step in the company’s global expansion plan. Having recently announced significant momentum in [Australia and New Zealand](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-announces-growth-in-australia-and-new-zealand/), Auth0 is poised to command a more prominent share of the greater Asia-Pacific region. 

**About World Innovation Lab**

World Innovation Lab (WiL) connects entrepreneurs with corporate resources to build global businesses. WiL is a multi-stage venture capital firm that invests in consumer and enterprise technology companies. With a deep network of global corporate partners, the firm is committed to providing startups with unparalleled investment and partnership opportunities. Recent investments include Auth0, Automation Anywhere, BirdEye, ClearMotion, Digital Shadows, Doctor on Demand, Intertrust, Mercari, Soracom, PeerStreet, and TransferWise.

World Innovation Lab's foundational platform includes the Japanese government investment arm and over 25 Japan leading corporations such as Sony, Nissan, 7-Eleven, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Suzuki, Mizuho Bank, Daiwa Securities, Itochu, NTT, and KDDI. In addition to venture investment, WiL also collaborates with the world’s leading companies to incubate new businesses and to create spin-offs and joint ventures.

[www.wilab.com](http://www.wilab.com/)


<include src="asides/AboutAuth0" />

### **Media Contacts:**
Jeana Tahnk 
Corporate Communications 
Auth0 
[jeana.tahnk@auth0.com](mailto:jeana.tahnk@auth0.com)

Auth0 Announces New Country Manager in Japan

Japan’s public cloud spend is expected to reach $5.8 billion by the end of 2018, but cyberattacks are on the rise. Auth0 authentication can help.

## Rising Cyber Attacks Push Need for Stronger Defense

Shedding legacy systems through digital transformation is increasing the global spend on public cloud services, according to a recent [IDC forecast](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS43511618). By the end of 2018, worldwide spending on public cloud is expected to reach $160 billion — a 23.2% increase over 2017. While the United States is still spending the bulk of those billions, Japan’s rapidly growing market is expected to contribute at least $5.8 billion to that spend.

With increased reliance on cloud services, comes an increased awareness of the potential for cyberattacks, especially since Japan’s government cloud faces consistent attacks. On April 3, Japan’s [National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity](https://www.nisc.go.jp/eng/) warned that official email addresses for about 2,000 government officials had been leaked, reports the [Japan News](http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004351856), noting that each year, government agencies face more than one million attacks.

“Without the right protections,” says Auth0 CISO Joan Pepin, “government cloud can be at least as vulnerable as public cloud. Authentication — making sure that users are who they claim to be — is a foundational security control.”

Certain industries, like the discrete manufacturing, manufacturing, and professional services industries that will take up to 43% of Japan’s spend, are turning to IoT to increase their capabilities, according to IDC. While these devices offer rapid, non-touch action as well as the collection of massive amounts of data, they also open organizations to various vulnerabilities, since the [IoT industry lacks a consistent set of standards and protocols](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secure-by-design).

More than [20 billion connected devices](https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3598917) are expected to be online globally by 2021, according to Gartner, bringing with them the potential for [geometrically increasing risk](https://auth0.com/blog/security-risk-20-plus-billion-iot-devices-by-2020/). These vulnerabilities are easily exploited by hackers — [botnet controllers increased by 140% in 2017](https://www.darkreading.com/perimeter/iot-botnets-by-the-numbers/d/d-id/1330924).

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="“Without the right protections,” says Auth0's @CloudCISO_Joan, “government cloud can be at least as vulnerable as public cloud. Authentication — making sure that users are who they claim to be — is a foundational security control.”"/>

Given all the cybersecurity risks, Japan, [like several other governments around the globe](https://auth0.com/blog/gdpr-effect/), took significant steps to protect personal data when the [Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI)](https://iapp.org/news/a/matchup-gdpr-and-japans-act-on-the-protection-of-personal-information/) came into force last May. Although focused on data protection and privacy like the EU’s GDPR, APPI focuses on protecting the rights of individuals and extends protections to include personal identifier codes, and aggregated information in the "business operator’s" database. The EU and Japan are currently in discussions regarding mutual "whitelisting."

Based on these regulations and stricter policies around data management in the region, the need for enterprises in Japan to prioritize identity management is undeniable. We addressed this demand by establishing a formal Auth0 presence in Tokyo last year, and launching our [website in Japanese](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-japanese-localization/): [https://auth0.com/jp](https://auth0.com/jp), and are continuing to dedicate significant resources to this region. Auth0 is uniquely suited to address the challenges of Japan-based and global companies looking to expand in this growing market. If you’re based in Japan and would like to learn more about how Auth0 can create a first line of seamless and secure defense, please reach out to [yuichiro.kuwano@auth0.com](mailto:yuichiro.kuwano@auth0.com).

<include src="TweetQuote" quoteText="Auth0’s authentication can help protect industries like discrete manufacturing, manufacturing, and professional services expected to take up to 43% of Japan’s $5.8B public cloud spend spend in 2018."/>

Japan's Digital Transformation Driving Public Cloud Spend

df6c864847fba9687d962cb80b482764?size=200 avatar

df6c864847fba9687d962cb80b482764?size=200

Martin Gontovnikas, a.k.a Gonto, is a software engineer at heart who moved to the ‘dark side’ and became VP of Marketing at Auth0. He considers himself lucky to have found a way to combine his two passions and apply his engineering thinking model to marketing. Gonto’s analytical thinking is a huge driver of his data-driven approach to marketing strategy and experimental design. He is based in the Bay area, and in his spare time, can be found eating gourmet food at the best new restaurants, visiting every local brewery he can find, or traveling the globe in search of new experiences.

Former SVP of Marketing and Growth at Auth0

Martin Gontovnikas

Auth0 makes it simple and easy to add authentication and authorization to any app. By localizing our marketing website, we hope to make it easier for developers and companies to implement and see the benefits of modern identity management.

**BELLEVUE, WA - Konnichiwa!** We are pleased to announce that the Auth0 marketing website has been localized for the Japanese market. Auth0 makes it simple and easy to add authentication and authorization to any app with its powerful API and SDK’s for most languages and frameworks. 

Auth0 has always championed and embraced open-source software and we hope that by localizing our vast knowledge of security best practices we can make it easier for developers and companies, regardless of industry, location, or *language*, to make the web a safer and more secure place for everyone.

![Auth0 Japan](https://images.ctfassets.net/23aumh6u8s0i/7iYJ6F6NCYo6rYEaMi42b7/a7e02e6cc8b91a632cbd34e9a3a3486a/auth0-jp)

If you are visiting the Auth0 website from a Japanese locale, you will automatically see the website presented in Japanese. If you wish to view the Japanese version of the website but are outside of the Japanese locale, you can view it by visiting [https://auth0.com/jp](https://auth0.com/jp).

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"japan"